Experts, even facts, unwelcome in Gardiner debate: James
More than all the mayor’s staff combined, Paul Bedford knows transit. The former chief planner for the city of Toronto understands the elements needed to keep the city moving. And 11 years after he left city hall, he still advocates for the livable metropolis.
You’d think city hall would be tickled to have Bedford engaged in Toronto’s growth and development. Alas, no.
Bedford applied to be one of the citizen appointees on the TTC. You heard how the selections panel, led by the mayor’s lieutenant Denzil Minnan-Wong (open Denzil Minnan-Wong's policard), thought it prudent to load the commission with men only. (Only after public ridicule did the selectors relent. Mayor John Tory (open John Tory's policard) came to the rescue by telling his hand-picked selectors to rethink. What? He didn’t notice the flaws before the public outcry?)
What you might not know is a person with Bedford’s credentials didn’t even get an interview. And it was the second time he’s applied, with the same result.
“Oh, I just forget about it and continue to serve the city in other ways,” Bedford said Monday, devoid of any bitterness.
Last week, Bedford was “serving the city in other ways” as he was one of the facilitators in a discussion of the options for the Gardiner Expressway.
Bedford is a better and bigger man than most of us. For the past 30 years, so many advocates with a world view and knowledge of what waterfront cities do with their expressways, have urged Toronto to get rid of the Gardiner.
The Star sent me to Boston, Barcelona, Sydney, San Francisco, Amsterdam, London and elsewhere and the message was the same: tear down that expressway.
When Robert Fung led the early stages of waterfront revitalization here, and local politics under Mel Lastman was nothing like the hardball, ramrod, provincial-and-federal-style brand being practised by the John Tory administration, there was a tiny window. It closed. I gave up hope; moved on.
So a couple weeks ago I watched in bemusement as Bedford and the likes of Michael Kirkland tried to infuse the current Gardiner debate with logic and facts and well-articulated analysis. Bemused because Tory was listening without hearing them, hearing but deaf to the arguments, deaf because the facts run counter to his political agenda.
There are at least two reasons why the Gardiner debate is fraudulent, with the decision preordained. One, Tory is a car man in his heart. He views with skepticism anything that gets in the way of the automobile — no matter how advantageous and significant to the growth of the city. Therefore, even if the Gardiner teardown option is cheaper and delivers a more livable and beautiful and sustainable city, it must be fought because the option adds a few minutes to the morning commute.
That position, by the way, is a political winner.
Secondly, the singular most important factor in Tory’s choice of options is this: How does it fit in with his SmartTrack plan?
Not surprisingly, the hybrid, super-expensive, keep-it-up-but-move-it-out-of-the-way-of-SmartTrack-development-opportunities is Tory’s choice. He needs to start delivering the ambitious targets for development charges and fees he promises to generate and pay for the $8-billion transit line, city planners never contemplated. Expect his office staff to push and promote that option, even if it means disparaging the wisdom of some knowledgeable experts.
The current chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat is cut from the same stout and steely resolve of a Bedford. Last week she told a conference that removing the Gardiner is in the city’s best long term interest.
“This is an opportunity for us to create a grand boulevard that weaves together the waterfront with the rest of the city, and opens up new development parcels, allowing us to create complete communities within walking distance of the downtown core.”
Oh, Jennifer. Do not stir those passions again. We are afraid to awaken sentiments and dreams that clearly are beyond the scope of the mayor and his middling advisers.
But it’s good to hear; good to detect a pulse of resistance.
Royson James usually appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Email: rjames@thestar.ca
